Every day is a roller
coaster ride of emotions. You might feel on top of the world one day because of
a promotion or an awesome grade on a test. Another day, you might feel down in
the deep dumps due to relationship difficulties, financial troubles, or simply
because you got a flat tire on your way to work.
Other instances may
include, you’re not getting enough sleep, and you’d rather spend the day at
home in your nightdress in front of the TV. You either can’t muster the energy
to do the things you need to do or just feeling overwhelmed. We’ve all been
there.
The most important
question is, how do you know if you’re just burned out — or is it something
more than that?
There are regular
fluctuations in mood that come and go. When your mood starts to have an impact
on your daily activities and in your social, educational, and vocational
relationships, you may be experiencing a mood disorder.
Misconception:
It is hard to
distinguish between bad mood or exhaustion as well as actual depression because
the symptoms are too similar to differentiate them. Where the word
"depression" brings you the image of intense sadness or inactivity,
the mood shifts related to depression are usually more subtle than that,
especially for women.
People often think of
depression as sadness or crying. They think of bipolar disorder as the
Hollywood tale of ‘mania,’ which is amusing, outrageous happiness. Plus, it
affects more women than men.
But in reality, mood
disorders aren’t that dramatic — fewer than 50 per cent of depressed women even
describe themselves as sad. And not acknowledging the signs of a mood disorder
can lead women to go untreated for longer than they should.
So what is this mood disorder?
Mood disorders are
those in which the person encounters severe disturbances in mood and emotion.
They're also called affective disorders, which are mental health problems
identified by a serious change in mood that disrupts your liveliness.
If you have a mood
disorder, your general emotional mood is distorted or irregular with your
circumstances and interferes with your ability to work and associate with
others. You may be extremely sad, empty or irritable, or you may have periods
of depression alternating with being excessively happy due to this.
The branches of mood disorders:
Though many different
subtypes of this dysfunction are recognized, three major states exist:
depressive, manic, and bipolar.
1. Depression
Major depressive
disorder is characterized by an overall depressed mood. They are characterized
as having less than normal interest in regular activities and lacking energy
and focus for at least two weeks. Premenopausal women are the most affected by
major depression. Their risk is twice as high as for men — roughly 20 per cent
of women will have a depressive episode at some point in their lives, examined
to 10 per cent of men.
2. Mania
Elevated moods are
characterized by mania or hypomania. Mania is termed as a psychological ailment
that causes a person to experience unreasonable euphoria, very intense
feelings, hyperactivity, and delusions. Mania or manic episodes are common
symptoms of bipolar disorder.
3. Bipolar
Less than 1 per cent
of adults have bipolar disorder. This mood disorder is signalized by the
cycling between both elevated and manic moods is characteristic of bipolar mood
disorders.
In addition to the
type and subtype of mood, these disorders also vary in intensity and severity.
Consider this case, dysthymic disorder is a lesser form of major depression and
cyclothymic disorder is recognized as a similar, but less severe form of
bipolar disorder.
Who are their victims?
Mood disorders can
occur in anyone, including children and teens. However, children and teens
always don't have the same symptoms as adults. It’s very harder to diagnose
this disorder in children because they aren’t always able to express how they
feel.
Children, teens, or
adults who have a parent with a mood disorder have a higher risk of also having
a mood disorder. Yet, life events and stress can expose or worsen emotions of
sadness or depression. This makes the feelings more arduous to manage.
It can appear, regardless of age, and one in
five women and one in 10 men will experience one of the following forms of
depression sometime in their lives.
Once a person in the
family has a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, the chance for their brothers,
sisters, or children to have the same diagnosis is very much increased.
Relatives of people with bipolar are likewise at increased risk for depression.
Symptoms:
Symptoms of mood
disorders are associated with your feelings. Usually, mood disorders will start
as mild feelings of sadness or inadequacy. Mild negative moods are normal, but
if these moods continue for a prolonged time or are very intense, you may have
a mood disorder.
Some common symptoms
are:
1. Body aches
2. Difficulty
concentrating
3. Difficulty sleeping
4. Fatigue
5. Emotions of
sadness, hopelessness, inability or inadequacy
6. Guilt
7. Hostility or
aggression
8. Loss of interest in
day-to-day life
9. Problems socializing
with loved ones
10. Unexplained weight
increase or loss
These are so simple
and common symptoms but if not recognized, they can turn out deadly.
What causes these?
To be honest, there
is no single cause, but we believe psychological, biological and environmental
factors are at play.
1. Moreover these
disorders are linked to chemicals in the brain, called neurotransmitters, which
regulate moods, feelings and behavior. It is proven that shifts in the levels
of these neurotransmitters can lead to mood disorders.
2. Traumatic life
events are also regarded as culprits of the onset of mood disorders. They can
negatively influence your work life and school life and intrude on your
relationships. In some cases, medications and substance abuse can be the
foundation of your disorder.
3. Even our gender and
sensitivity to seasonal changes can play a role in mood disorders. Brain
imaging studies indicate that the brains of people with bipolar disorder and
depression differ from the healthy brains, which suggests that brain structure
and functioning may play a role in the development of these mood disorders.
Can it be treated?
Yes, mood disorders
can be successfully treated with medications and talk therapy.
Almost all of those
who receive treatment experience some benefit. Before therapy begins, patients
should seek a full medicinal evaluation to rule out any other mental or
physical ailments which could mimic mood disorders.
Like many mental
illnesses, mood disorders are usually treated with medication, psychotherapy or
a combination of both of them. Patients can usually see a relief of their
symptoms in just a few weeks. A few steps might include:
1. Antidepressant and
mood-stabilizing medicines—especially when linked with psychotherapy have shown
to work very well in the therapy of depression.
2. Psychotherapy—most
often cognitive-behavioral and interpersonal therapy. This therapy is focused
on improving the person’s distorted views of themselves and the environment
around them. It also helps to enhance interpersonal relationship skills and recognizing
stressors in the environment and how to avoid them
3. Family Therapy-Families
always play a vital supportive role in any treatment process.
4. Other therapies-
Such as electroconvulsive therapy and transcranial stimulation are used to
treat them.
When correctly
diagnosed and treated, people with these mood disorders can live stable,
productive, healthy lives.
Sadly, there are no
ways to prevent the occurrence of mood dysfunctions. However, immediate
diagnosis and treatment can reduce the cruelty of symptoms, enhance the
person’s regular growth and development, and improve the state of life of
people with mood disorders.
The support of the
family is very much needed for treating these patients as they are the backbone
of our life. You must try to understand them and try to help them out to sort
out this disorder.
Written By - Bennet
Vini . R
Edited By - Chavi Goel
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